The team 15 places below Vietnam on the FIFA rankings is on its way to the 2026 World Cup.

On Friday morning, November 14 (Vietnam time), Suriname defeated El Salvador 4-0 to move one step closer to a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. In the third qualifying round of the North, Central America and Caribbean region (CONCACAF), they are currently at the top of Group A with 9 points after 5 matches. Although equal on points with Panama, Suriname has a better goal difference, and only has to face the weakest team in the group, Guatemala, in the last round (Panama vs. El Salvador).

After the US, Canada and Mexico have secured their spots as hosts, CONCACAF has three official spots left, the top three teams in the third qualifying round, and two intercontinental play-off spots for the two best second-placed teams. This means that Suriname's chances of making it to the biggest football festival on the planet next year are wide open.

Few people know that geographically, Suriname is located on the South American continent and shares a border with Brazil. However, the smallest country (in terms of area and population) in South America participates (and even co-founded) CONCACAF, similar to Guyana and French Guiana.

Suriname defeated El Salvador 4-0 on the morning of November 14.

However, despite separating from South American giants like Brazil, Argentina or Uruguay, Suriname still cannot compete with other countries in the North, Central America and Caribbean region in terms of football. That is why they have never participated in the World Cup, and have only played in the Gold Cup (CONCACAF championship) 4 times but were eliminated in the group stage.

Suriname is not short of footballing talent. Stars with Surinamese heritage, a former Dutch colony, include Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Many recent Dutch internationals, such as Georginio Wijnaldum, Xavi Simons, Ryan Gravenberch, Donyell Malen and Denzel Dumfries, have links to the country.

But clearly, given the choice, the stars naturally chose the Netherlands, a major football power, over the small country nestled in northern South America. In addition, out of national pride, Suriname also discourages dual citizenship. And players with Dutch passports are banned from playing for the national team.

Overseas-born players have been instrumental in Suriname's success.

One day, realizing that too much talent was being wasted, those passionate about Surinamese football lobbied the government to change the law. In the meantime, they formed a team of Surinamese players born abroad, operating alongside the official team.

In 2019, the Surinamese Football Federation introduced the “ Sports Passport”, which allows players with family ties to the country but who already hold other nationalities to play for the national team. With the door opened, many talented Surinamese-born players have started to return to contribute and significantly improve Suriname’s competitiveness. In the recent 4-0 win over El Salvador, three goalscorers, Richonell Margaret, Dhoraso Klas and Tjaronn Chery, were all born in the Netherlands.

Of course, convincing European talent to play for Suriname is a long and elaborate process. The General Director of the Surinamese Football Federation, Brian Tevreden, revealed that since being appointed to this position 4 years ago, he has established a database of many players with Surinamese blood, and at the same time built a recruitment team to attract overseas talent.

Suriname is currently very close to a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

"We hold a lot of presentations in the Netherlands and invite not only the players but also the coaches and their families," Tevreden shared. "In addition, the facilities also need to be improved. The hotels must be good, the food must be good. The attitude of the reception also needs to change, so that the players feel welcome and comfortable like coming home."

According to Tevreden, the players went from being skeptical to interested and became the ones who persuaded other players. "One player told me that if he had known Suriname was so great, he would have come back years ago. The coaches are the same. At first, they advised players not to play for Suriname. Now they constantly call me and talk about the players."

With the recent positive results, Tevreden and the leaders in Suriname can rub their hands with satisfaction at the efforts put in. "Everywhere in Suriname is talking about going to the World Cup. You can feel the excitement and tension in the air. The match against El Salvador, tickets sold out in 30 minutes. If the team qualifies for the World Cup, it's hard to imagine what will happen. The whole country will probably shut down for a month to celebrate. This is a special time for Suriname," Tevreden commented.

If they reach the 2026 World Cup, Suriname will also make history as the lowest-ranked nation in the FIFA rankings to participate in the world championship. In 2010, North Korea was the team that set the record with a ranking of 110. Currently, Suriname is even lower at 126, even 15 places below Vietnam. They have truly written a magical story, about the underdogs who know how to seize the opportunity to change their fate.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/doi-bong-kem-tuyen-viet-nam-15-bac-tren-bxh-fifa-dang-tren-duong-toi-world-cup-2026-post1796174.tpo